Archived An ETL may or may not be trying to get rid of me?

[Starry]

So, I had this conversation with another TM who has been with Target for a longer time than I have and I would like to know all of your POVs.

I work on the sales floor, have been for over 3 years, and we have an ETL who I shall call "Caillou" (not his real name obviously, and not even my nickname for them). Caillou has been at my store for coming on one year and I really, really don't think he likes me at all.

How would I assume this?

Anytime various team members are given specific tasks which have to be completed in a specific timeframe (which can't be done unless one if superman; with large work loads given in a short time frame), it seems like I'm the only one who gets questioned as to why I couldn't complete the work load. The most recent example was a couple of days ago, where I had to finish the day's CAF pulls by 6:00. Okay, every do-able, especially considering there were only a few on the line when I clocked in at 4:30. 5:45 comes around and 5 more pulls showed up on the line when I was working on a particularly large one.

There was no way I was going to finish 6 overall pulls in 15 minutes. I spoke with Caillou about this and was told to focus on the pulls and then to work on zoning and re-shops. 8:00 rolls by and I finally finished. A handful of the pulls were very large with a bunch of small items and I had to constantly go up for back up and help guests (guests first, after all). I worked on some zoning, but I had to leave at 8:30 (it was only a 4 hour shift). I tried to see if I could get help from other TMs, but was told that they had their own workloads that they had to finish.

The following day, I was called into the TL office and a different supervisor asked me why I didn't finish the tasks yesterday. I told him what I told Caillou and was then told by this different supervisor that Caillou was the one who wanted to know why. Even though I had already told him yesterday and that, if he really wanted to hear it again, he should have been the one having the conversation with me. Not this other supervisor. I didn't say that last part out loud, but I was certainly thinking it.

While working with this other TM who has been with Spot for longer than I have, it was mentioned that Caillou could be looking for a "valid" reason to get me termed. Considering that it only seems to be me who gets questioned when near impossible workloads aren't finished on time and that this wasn't an isolated incident.

They told me not to dwell on it and to not worry (which I'm actually not, evidence of this thread to the contrary), but I believe that it is a thought worth asking:

Is it possible that this particular ETL is trying to find a reason to get me termed? Or that he is just a really incompetent ETL? Or that I'm just a really incompetent TM?

 

[whippingboy]

They can't term you for once incident. I'd worry if they pull you in on a regular basis. Is this ETL in charge of your department? What about the Team Lead? If they cover other departments I certainly wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Starry]

They can't term you for once incident. I'd worry if they pull you in on a regular basis. Is this ETL in charge of your department? What about the Team Lead? If they cover other departments I certainly wouldn't worry about it.

The thing is, I'm usually the only one in the department that they usually talk to on a semi-regular basis. And this wasn't the first incident of this happening. Like I said, the entire department has near impossible loads placed upon them, but it seems like I'm the only one ever called over the walkie to discuss how I apparently suck at my job.

By the way, both of the ETL and the TL are Hardlines/sales floor. The area where I work 99% of the time.

 

[commiecorvus]

I'm going to give you the same advice I give everybody and that I wish I'd followed better myself.

Write it down and I don't mean a little bit.
You see that wall of script you just posted?
Do that every time you run into a situation with Caillou.
Make sure you the complete journalistic package where, what, who, when, and how.
Date, time, how much, how often, and who with.
Keep it clean of opinion and feeling, just the facts, ma'm (probably a reference you won't get but oh well)

See if Caillou does try to performance you out and you'll know it the minute they call you down to sign a stacked CA (that's a CA made of times you've been talked to and that you weren't really informed that something was going on), then you will have a way to defend yourself.
It might not work at that meeting but it will prove you aren't ready to go quietly into that dark, dark night and so Caillou might back off.
If not and you get another one, you respond the same way only follow up with a meeting with HR explaining that you feel that this is an attempt to railroad you and you have proof that has been presented, that will be presented higher up if this continues.
That will either get them to back off or make things freak to a point that it will like watching chickens with their heads cut off, either way you were on your way to losing your job so it was worth the shot.

Keep in mind most of this requires nerves of steel and the willingness to commit.
If you don't feel it's worth it, you don't necessarily have to fight but I still suggest writing it all down.

 

[Starry]

I'm going to give you the same advice I give everybody and that I wish I'd followed better myself.

Write it down and I don't mean a little bit.
You see that wall of script you just posted?
Do that every time you run into a situation with Caillou.
Make sure you the complete journalistic package where, what, who, when, and how.
Date, time, how much, how often, and who with.
Keep it clean of opinion and feeling, just the facts, ma'm (probably a reference you won't get but oh well)


See if Caillou does try to performance you out and you'll know it the minute they call you down to sign a stacked CA (that's a CA made of times you've been talked to and that you weren't really informed that something was going on), then you will have a way to defend yourself.
It might not work at that meeting but it will prove you aren't ready to go quietly into that dark, dark night and so Caillou might back off.
If not and you get another one, you respond the same way only follow up with a meeting with HR explaining that you feel that this is an attempt to railroad you and you have proof that has been presented, that will be presented higher up if this continues.
That will either get them to back off or make things freak to a point that it will like watching chickens with their heads cut off, either way you were on your way to losing your job so it was worth the shot.

Keep in mind most of this requires nerves of steel and the willingness to commit.
If you don't feel it's worth it, you don't necessarily have to fight but I still suggest writing it all down.

Writing things down would be a good idea. Like I had mentioned, I don't think it will be as serious as it may have been made out to be (or at least hope it won't), but it wouldn't hurt me to be more aware of things overall.

 

[Lalena]

Be sure and loop all of this in with your ETL HR...this may provide you a bit of protection if something happens down the road...And DOCUMENT EVERYTHING...trust me

 

[Sickofspot]

I hope things work out. I am in a similar situation. I have a log I am keeping of all the bullshit my ETL has put me through. Problem is, my ETL-HR just basically makes excuses for the ETL. But, I log the HR conversations, as well. Unfortunately, most ETLs stick together. So, next step is STL, then the hotline. I hope you don't have to take it as far. But, always CYA-cover your ass.

 

[Life201]

I just wanted to add: Don't lose hope that this ETL will be transferred and finds a new scapegoat at his new store.

This is a problem that corporation creates when they EXPECT to see negative "reports" so they can see that ETLs & TLs are doing something to earn their paycheck.

 

[commiecorvus]

I just wanted to add: Don't lose hope that this ETL will be transferred and finds a new scapegoat at his new store.

This is a problem that corporation creates when they EXPECT to see negative "reports" so they can see that ETLs & TLs are doing something to earn their paycheck.

Think about what a problem it is when the TL are told that at every one of the meetings they have to come up with a top and bottom performer.
What a normal person is going to say is the person who annoyed them that week.
Sure if they were the perfect TL they would spend the time to actually analyze how their peoples performance actually comes one against the other.
But every damned week?
And what if you have a basically decent team?
They will tell you that the process is just a way of identifying opportunities (g-d I hate that word) so you can increase performance.
But what it really means is that since most TL are human beings it''s going to be the TM who they have the most difficult time getting along with who will get thrown under the bus.

Now this process is also great for lazy ETLs.
They don't have to go to the trouble of learning anything about the people who in their department except maybe a chosen few that the TL point them towards.
It's like the principle who only knows the smart kids and the trouble makers at the school.
Except in the store those designations are totally frelling arbitrary.
This is no way to run a railroad.

TL;DR Yet another lazy management method that sets people up to be bullied and in the long run fail.

 

[Life201]

Totally agree, Commie.

It's hard to blame TLs or ETLs for blindly following what is expected of them.... they want to keep their jobs & they will keep them for as long as they are able to suppress their personal morals & their common sense. This is why Target looks for young & inexperienced people to fill these jobs - they are looking for people too insecure to question what they know is wrong. And younger people are probably much more easier to control if you give them carte blanche to exercise "power" over a bunch of underpaid peons.

This is what happens when a corporation's only loyalty is to its stockholders & when corporate GREED is left unchecked.

Today's CEO's don't lose a minutes sleep over any of the peons under him. Why should he or she? There are no consequences for anything these people do.

 

[tgtguy]

I would try not to walk around and focus on that one etl or worry about what he said. I would be aware of what he said but not worry about it . I would empower yourself by following @commiecorvus advice and start taking notes. I would just make sure you are doing the best job that you can do and cover your ass. If it were to happen again I would see the HR ( if you feel you can talk to him/her some of them are like talking to a wall )...tell them your concerns etc. On the other hand, you have to look at it like this the etl could be just flexing their muscles...some of them ( some not all) like knowing they can make people fret and or worry....and they get off on pulling ppl in the office ( or having someone else pull them in the office ).

 

[Patty]

Jack Webb and Harry Morgan ! Still watch it on nik at nite